Cleaning Carboy (glass, Betterbottle Etc)

[Wimmig]

For any other carboy users, with a bit of luck i'm not going over a viable answer for the 9000th time.

I looked around to see if there was an easier method to cleaning a carboy inside. Some used brushes, sand, a custom build rinse stand, rice etc. And i noticed on one of the links somebody used a magnetic fish tank cleaner, the cheap 2 part kind. It noted that it had trouble fitting into the carboy curves etc. Well i used the tank cleaner i have here, to clean a betterbottle which had some tough deposits. Nappysan, PBW, soaking etc had trouble etc. The magnetic cleaner fitted into the betterbottle, but is too abrasive to use it (rough like the tough side of velcro). It also does not do a good job of getting into the curved areas of the bottle.

Then i put it into a sock. A thin[ish] sock and tied a knot and pushed it in. With a bit of movement the pressure from the added material and the magnetic pull dragging it around worked a treat. Got everything i had trouble with shifted. Cheap, easy and a totally clean. So if your having trouble, give it a try.

On a side note, i saw some magnetic balls on the shelves in Kmart, in the kids section. Marble sized. I think wrapping them in some loose material would do a better job, and for only $2.99

 

[freezkat]

except for the top, a pressure washer works great

but its a pain and a mess to use inside. The brush doesn't bother me. Bend it to fit the angles. At least you can see what you are doing

 

[Wimmig]

except for the top, a pressure washer works great

but its a pain and a mess to use inside. The brush doesn't bother me. Bend it to fit the angles. At least you can see what you are doing

Pressure washer works a treat too. Though, i have split a betterbottle with one and have seen similar outcomes with glass

 

[going down a hill]

I use demijohns and love them, airlocks sound great but it's got nothing on watching the brew when it's fermenting, but I digress. I have a long brush that I have shaped to fit the corners of the demijohn. I clean it straight after the brew by rinsing, getting the brush into the crud on the side of the walls and then soaking in bleach for a day or two. Then when I'm putting a brew on I repeat the bleach treatment and rinse thoroughly. I need to get myself some Starsan.

 

[ratchie]

I use a small pressure washer with a bent shaft, heated it with a blow torch and bent it.

 

[manticle]

When I use them, I just soak with napisan and hot water. Make sure the glass is gently introduced to the hot water (ie put a bit of warm water in first and shake around - thermal shock with water too hot means broken demijohn and cut fingers/arms/hands etc).

Supposedly too much sodium percarb for too long can eat/weaken glass but I have not noticed problems soaking for a week or so. (NB: me not noticing doesn't mean it can't or isn't happening).

Otherwise, try sodium percarb, hot water, a cup or so of dry rice and a good, hard shake with the lid on (and near grass or rubber in case you drop the thing).

Same way I clean the willow jerry cubes I ferment in.

 

[kelbygreen]

sound like your cleaning a bong manticle sub sodium perc with metho and sounds about right lol. I cant see why soaking the lot over night in sodium perc wont do thats all my fermenters get. A brush or cloth and never touched them and no infections yet!

 

[pants]

I'd like to build one of .

 

[iralosavic]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/180724266314?ss...984.m1423.l2649



Thinking about getting one of these, myself.

 

[Wimmig]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/180724266314?ss...984.m1423.l2649



Thinking about getting one of these, myself.

That looks great. I've seen many similar things around though. I wonder if the material can be changed at a user end. Nothing to stop you locking some similar material to a length of tube and shoving it in a drill though.